The past year has been spent planning the logistics and refining the research protocol for this project. Drs. Perdue and de Cabo are in contact with Nancy Nadon at the NIA Aging Rodent Colony about the acquisition of the rodents. Dr. Nadon has agreed to provide in bulk Fisher 344 rats across the age span. The Animal Study Proposal has been written and approved by the NIA Animal Care and Use Committee. Caging space to house the study animals have been obtained. DNA isolation testing on multiple tissues (whole blood, ear punches, liver, muscle, and white adipose) has been successful. Preliminary testing of the immunophenotyping panel was also successful. Pilot testing of skeletal muscle and liver biopsies were deemed too difficult and may jeopardize the primary goals of the project. All equipment and materials have been obtained (or are being purchased by next week) for the life of this project, including sample acquisition, immunophenotyping, DNA isolation/quantification, behavioral/functional testing, library preparation, and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. Personnel have been assigned for all aspects of this project, and training is under way. Currently, we plan to bring in the rats in mid-/late-September.